I’m working on a book about Cowtown. The book will be published through Arcadia Publishing and will tell the history of Cowtown through pictures. I grew up in Salem County. Cowtown has always been in my backyard and I’ve experienced it as a place to work on Saturday nights and as place to pick up fresh produce, scarves, and Amish market pretzels. However, because of the research I’ve done for the book, I now understand how our community has been shaped by this unique place as well as see how our community, over the decades, has shaped Cowtown too. To be honest, it's surprising that a book hasn't been put together before now.
Last week, I met with Jimmy Lee Walker, a retired bull fighter and rider that started at Cowtown in 1968. We sat in the Woodstown Hotel Bar and had a few drinks while perusing dozens of pictures. Jimmy Lee explained the role of barrelman, the footwear and apparel choices, and the best techniques to avoid being gored by a bull. He told me about his family (three of his four brothers and several cousins were all involved with the Rodeo) and the different places he had ‘rodeoed’. With each picture we looked at, I asked questions. Then I’d stop and jot down some notes. Then, I’d ask more questions. Jimmy Lee patiently answered each one.
Why do we take pictures? We take pictures to document a place, a person, or an event. We take pictures to capture a moment in time. Some might even say we take pictures to make it near impossible for us to lose our memories. Memories fade. Being able to pick up a picture and revisit that memory is what we sometimes need for a quick laugh or quick cry. Jimmy Lee revisited his rodeo life with me that day. That’s really an honor. I’m so grateful that so many picture contributors have invited me into their lives and memories for this book. Grant & Betsy Harris, owners of Cowtown, didn’t have to. Alice Mae and Emily, Cowtown staff, didn’t have to. All of the community members that have sent their pictures into the Cowtown office of their family trips to the Auction or the Rodeo didn’t have to. I’m thankful they did.
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Lesson Learned
Take pictures. Take lots of them. Capture the moment. One day, maybe it’s thirty-nine days from now or maybe it’s thirty-nine years from now, you’ll want to see that moment. You’ll want to look at a picture of your former self or someone else and recall that memory with such clarity you won’t be able to stop yourself from telling someone else about it.
